March 2014 Calendar Observances and Activities

This post contains calendar observances and themed activities for March 2014. If you’d like an updated calendar for any year, you can find it in my March Themed Activities for Kids. This calendar is different because the calendar observances with changing dates are added into the list of March dates, making it less likely that you’ll miss an event.

I love using unit studies and themed activities for holidays and calendar observances. You’ll find all my unit studies and holiday posts in my “Should You Use Unit Studies?” post. You might choose to plan unit studies based on your child’s interests. Many unit studies, such as a dinosaur unit or transportation unit, work well at any time of the year.

Some unit studies naturally fit best into specific seasons or months. And many others can be used at any time but are extra fun when combined with a holiday or calendar observance.

You’ll find more links for calendar observances in my “Enliven Your Homeschool with Some Calendar Fun” post. The post has links to resources for calendar observances for any level. I mainly focus here on March themes for preschoolers through early elementary, although you’ll find calendar observances here for any age.

Monthly Observances for March

• American Red Cross Month
• National Craft Month – The Ultimate Guide to Kids’ Crafts and Learning Activities Using Beads (Includes link to the Ultimate Guide to 50 Craft  Materials)
• Deaf Month
• Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month
• International Ideas Month
• Irish-American Heritage Month
• International Listening Awareness Month
• National March into Literacy Month- How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students, Montessori-Inspired Language Activities, DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics for Preschoolers
• International Mirth Month
• Music in our Schools Month – Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Peter and the Wolf, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Swan Lake, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Carnival of the Animals, Montessori-Inspired Activities for the Tortoise and the Hare, Montessori-Inspired Activities for Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
• National Noodle Month
• National Nutrition Month – Montessori-Inspired Food Preparation for Preschoolers, Montessori-Inspired Fruit Unit, Montessori-Inspired Vegetable Unit
• Optimism Month
• National Peanut Month
• National Reading Awareness Month – How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students, Montessori-Inspired Language Activities, DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics for Preschoolers
• Play-the-Recorder Month
• Red Cross Month
• Poison Prevention Awareness Month
• Sing with Your Child Month – Free Educational Songs for Circle Time
• Social Workers Month
• National Umbrella Month – Montessori-Inspired Cloud Unit, Montessori-Inspired Weather Unit, and Montessori-Inspired April Showers Activities
• National Women’s History Month
• Youth Art Month – Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation and Art Appreciation and Creation for Kids

March Dates that Can Be Used for Themed Activities

• March 1: Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
• March 1: Share a Smile Day – Go on a Smile Hunt with Your Child
• March 2-8: Celebrate Your Name Week (1st Full Week in March)
• March 2: Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, 1904 – Dr. Seuss with a Touch of Montessori, Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, Montessori-Inspired One Fish, Two Fish Math Activities at PreK + K Sharing, Montessori-Inspired Lorax Activities, Cat in the Hat Practical Life Activities, 50+ Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, 30+ Dr. Seuss Inspired Phonics Activities. (For a thorough children’s author birthday calendar, see the right sidebar of Happy Birthday Author)
• March 2: Oscar Night 2014
• March 3: Read Across America Day – Dr. Seuss with a Touch of Montessori, Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, Montessori-Inspired One Fish, Two Fish Math Activities at PreK + K Sharing, Montessori-Inspired Lorax Activities, Cat in the Hat Practical Life Activities, 50+ Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, 30+ Dr. Seuss Inspired Phonics Activities.
• March 3: Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday
• March 3: March 3: Japanese Doll Festival or Girls’ Festival (and Peach Blossom Day)
• March 3: I Want You to Be Happy Day – Kindness Projects for All Ages, Kindness Projects Pinterest Board
• March 3: U.S. National Anthem Day – adopted in 1931
• March 3: If Pets Had Thumbs Day
• March 4: Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday or Pancake Day) – Kids’ Mardi Gras Activities Pinterest Board
• March 4: National Grammar Day – The Montessori Grammar Farm, Inexpensive, Simple-to-Prepare Montessori Grammar Farm
• March 4: Hug a GI Day
• March 5: Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lent) – Montessori-Based Lenten Activities and Homeschool Lent and Easter
• March 5: National Weatherperson’s Day – Montessori-Inspired Cloud Unit, Montessori-Inspired Weather Unit, and Montessori-Inspired April Showers Activities
• March 5: World Read Aloud Day – Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, Montessori-Inspired Eric Carle Activities, How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Simple Tips for Organizing Your Homeschool Library, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students, Montessori-Inspired Activities for the Tortoise and the Hare, , Montessori-Inspired Activities for Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Free Mitten Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mitten Activities.
• March 6: World Book Day – How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students
• March 6: Artist Michelangelo’s Birthday, 1475  – Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation and Art Appreciation and Creation for Kids
• March 6: Dentist’s Day – Montessori-Inspired Dental Health Unit
• March 7 – Employee Appreciation Day (1st Friday in March)
• March 7: National Cereal Day
• March 7: Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone, 1876
• March 8: International Women’s Day
• March 8: National Proofreading Day
• March 9: Daylight Savings Begins at 2:00 a.m.
• March 10: Middle Name Pride Day
• March 12: Girl Scouts Day
• March 12: Plant a Flower Day – Activity of the Week – Friendship Flower Activities, Free Montessori Botany Materials for a Gardening Unit, Montessori-Inspired Gardening Unit, Montessori-Inspired Flower Activities, Free Flower Printables and Montessori-Inspired Flower Math Activities
• March 13: Jewel Day
• March 13: Good Samaritan Day – Kindness Projects for All Ages, Kindness Projects Pinterest Board
• March 13: Popcorn Lover’s Day – Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit
• March 13: Albert Einstein’s Birthday, 1879
• March 13: Uranus Discovered, 1781 – Montessori-Inspired Solar System Activities and World Space Week 2012 Blog Hop
• March 14: Scientist Albert Einstein’s Birthday, 1879
• March 14: Learn about Butterflies Day – Montessori-Inspired Caterpillar-Butterfly Unit
• March 14: National Pi Day (National Pi Day is March 14 because 3.14 is the value of Pi.)
• March 15: Ides of March
• March 15: Absolutely Incredible Kids Day
• March 15: National Quilting Day (3rd Saturday in March)
• March 15: Purim (begins sundown March 15)
• March 16: Freedom of Information Day
• March 17: St. Patrick’s Day – Homeschool St. Patrick’s Day, Montessori-Inspired St. Patrick’s Day Activities, Montessori-Inspired St. Patrick’s Day Activities (2012), Montessori-Inspired St. Patrick’s Day Math Activities at PreK + K Sharing, 40+ St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tubs
• March 17: Holi (Indian Festival of Colours)
• March 17: Rubber Band Invented, 1845
• March 18: First Space Walk, 1965 – Astronaut Unit, Montessori-Inspired Astronomy Activities, Montessori-Inspired Moon Unit, Montessori-Inspired Solar System Activities and World Space Week 2012 Blog Hop
• March 20: First Day of Spring – Activity of the Week – Montessori-Inspired Spring Activities, Free Spring Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spring Math Activities, Montesori-Inspired Spring Playdough Activities, Montessori-Inspired Spring Themes and Activities
• March 21: International Day of Forests – Montessori-Inspired Arbor Day Activities
• March 21: Composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s Birthday, 1685 – Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation
• March 21: Children’s Poetry Day – Montessori-Inspired Poetry Activities
• March 22: Randolph Caldecott Birthday, 1846
• March 22: National Goof Off Day
• March 23: Toast Day
• March 23: Political Leader Patrick Henry declared, “Give me liberty…”, 1775
• March 24: Magician Harry Houdini’s Birthday, 1874
• March 25: Pancakes First Made, 1882
• March 25: International Waffle Day
• March 25: National Agriculture Day (date varies) – Montessori Grammar Farm,Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit, Montessori-Inspired Farm Unit, Safari Ltd. Farm TOOBS and Keys, Free Farm Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities Using Farm Replicas and Printables, 40+ Farm Sensory Tubs, Inexpensive, Simple-to-Prepare Montessori Grammar Farm
• March 25: Pecan Day
• March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
• March 26: Poet Robert Frost’s Birthday, 1874 – Montessori-Inspired Poetry Activities
• March 28: Something on a Stick Day
• March 28: National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
• March 28: “Greatest Show on Earth” Formed, 1881 – Circus Unit Study Pinterest Board
• March 30: Doctor’s Day
• March 30: Artist Vincent Van Gogh’s Birthday, 1853 – Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation and Art Appreciation and Creation for Kids
• March 30: Take a Walk in the Park Day
• March 31: Composer Franz Joesph Haydn’s Birthday 1732 – Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation
• March 31: Eiffel Tower Day – Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – France
• March 31: First Map of the US Published, 1784
• March 31: Tater Day
• March 31: Mathematician Rene Descartes’ Birthday, 1596

Have a happy March!

Photo at the top of the post by alexmillos

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